ON their first high-profile outing together, the new partnership of Matilda Holmes and the Connemara gelding Tullaree Fear Buí were crowned winners of the British Show Pony Society performance pony championship at London International Horse Show.
Riding for her mother Zoe, 15-year-old Holmes had earlier won the not exceeding 148cms class. Standing reserve, were the not exceeding 158cms class winners Danni Radford and Angela Hunt’s eight-year-old Irish-bred gelding Made To Measure.
Over the past few seasons, Tullaree Fear Buí (Templebready Fear Bui – Tullaree Silver, by Dunlewey Rigmarole), who was bred in Co Kerry by Clive Swindell, had become one of the best-known Connemaras on the Irish showing circuit. Previously ridden by Ellie Rogan for her mother Cathy Cooper and joint-owner Nicola Main, the 2013 grey qualified for two finals at last year’s Dublin Horse Show.
The combination won their six-year-old and upwards young riders’ flat Connemara class, going on to stand reserve champions, before landing their not exceeding 153cms class and the Junior Equitation championship. While this was a first win for Rogan on her fourth visit to Dublin with Tullaree Fear Buí, back in 2019 the grey landed the younger Connemara performance hunter championship under his then owner Emily McGowan.
Irish connections
The emphasis was on amateur riders in the horse showing section where the opening session was devoted to hunter types.
The Rising Star champion, Questiontime, and reserve, Strinesdale Marksman, both came from the small and lightweight class where the British-bred geldings had finished first and second under their respective owners, Kaitlin Mason and Sally Iggulden.
Mason is head lass with trainer Luci Hughes, wife of the former three-time British champion jumps jockey Brian Hughes, a native of Co Armagh who was on the winning male team in Monday’s jockeys’ show jumping competition.
The middle/heavyweight hunter type class was won by Katie Radcliffe riding her Tom Flanagan-bred 2018 Irish Sport Horse gelding Kinsales Irish Emerald (Lionwood Kinsales Lad – Emerald Haven, by Indian Haven).
“Coming back after an almost 20-year break from horses, I bought ‘Timmy’ as an unbacked three-year-old from John Mulconroy in Tulla, Co Clare,” revealed Radcliffe. “He has the most fabulous temperament and is a real character!”
Friday’s Rising Star cob championship was won by Jocelyne Cleveland on board Susanna O’Reilly-Hyland’s Irish-bred maxi class winner De Kobdashian.
The winner of the light/heavyweight class under his owner Kristiane Tobin was the year-younger, Margaret Dean-bred Irish Draught gelding Brookdale Just In Time (Fast Silver – Kerryoak Silver Storm, by Rakish Paddy).
The Jim Murphy-bred 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding Master Pocket Rocket, winner of the Rising Star working hunter type class under owner Mia Jarrett, was overlooked when it came to the working type championship honours.
On the Saturday, showing interest lay in the morning finals of the Cavago Rising Star style and performance series where the overall champion came from the 25-year-olds and upwards class which she had won by a three-point margin. This was the Catherine Little-owned and ridden 2019 ID mare Courtown Grandpas Girl (Grandpas Rebel – Courtown Millie, by Grange Bouncer) who was bred in Co Wexford by Lorcan Allen.
Two Irish-breds topped the final of the young rider series. Here, the winner by a point was the Anna Tuer-owned and partnered A Chuisle Mo Chroi (Sligo Candy Boy – Leanbh Ceadaoin, by Sylvano), a 2019 piebald ISH gelding bred by Chris McNaughton. Grace Morgan finished second with Jemma Millman’s eight-year-old Connemara gelding Clooniereen Silver Knight (Glencarrig Knight – Rineen Ceolin, by Oisin).
The sole equine action in the afternoon was the Agria Rising Star racehorse to show horse class where Harriet Hammond topped the final line-up on Gentleman At Arms (Reliable Man), bred in Ireland by Salinity Service Ab.